


Please don't shut me out

by acquamarinus



Category: Political RPF - US 20th c., Political RPF - US 21st c.
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:27:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28001643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acquamarinus/pseuds/acquamarinus
Summary: How did Bill and Hillary deal with her blood clot scare in 1998 while healing their relationship following the scandal?
Relationships: Bill Clinton/Hillary Clinton
Comments: 21
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was only supposed to be a one-shot story, but the words just kept coming so I decided to divided into maybe two chapters. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't really know how the events unfolded. I'm only filling the blanks with my imagination based on what I read from their autobiographies. I mean no disrespect to anyone in the story. It's only fiction work.

**Please don’t shut me out.**

First Lady Hillary Clinton knew that something was wrong as soon as she stepped off the podium. A shot of pain ran from the bottom of her foot up her leg. She winced, but soon recovered and put a smile back on. She shook Chuck Schumer’s hand and with a slight limb she walked towards the other people waiting for her to shake her hand and take a picture with her.

She tried to hide the pain. She wondered how she managed to pull a muscle of all sudden. Hillary tried to resist as much as she could, keeping appearances, but soon she nodded to her aide Huma Abedin. The young girl approached her.

“Huma,” Hillary whispered in her ear when she came closer “I’m not feeling very well, is there a way to cut the closing short without causing suspicions?”

Huma nodded. “Sure, let me set things in motion.” She talked to the secret service asking them to bring the car and clear the exit and then she talked to the members of the staff that came with Hillary that day.

Minutes later, after a convincing excuse, Hillary and her staff were in the limousine taking them back to the airport. Huma noticed that the first lady was limping while walking the steps up the plane.

“What’s wrong?” She asked when the sat down and fastened their seat belt.

“I don’t know” Hillary revealed. “I might have pulled a muscle or something. I’ve got a sharp pain in my leg.”

She took her shoes off and stated massaging her leg through her pants and stockings. “Maybe I’m being silly, but at one point I could barely put my foot down.”

“Do you want me to call the doctor when we get back to the White House?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m sure it will pass. Let’s see after the flight. If you could just bring a painkiller, please, with a glass of water.”

“No problem.”

After she returned, Hillary took the pill, then leaned her head back, tried to relax and took a quick nap. Thankfully, the flight from New York back to Washington wasn’t a long one.

Just as they were about to land, Hillary woke up startled.

“We’re nearly there.” One staff member told her.

She nodded and ran a hand through her hair. She started putting her shoes back on. She easily managed to put her left one, but she struggled with her right one. She winced in pain and looked down. The top of her foot and ankle were swollen.

“Something wrong?” Huma noticed her discomfort.

“I can’t put my shoe back on, my foot is swollen.”

Huma looked down worriedly. She knew that a few photographers and member of the press were probably waiting at the airport. They had to find a way for the first lady to walk down the steps and into the car without people realizing that something was wrong.

“I’ve got a spare pair of trainers in my go-to bag. I’m a couple of numbers bigger than you. You could wear those while walking to the car.” She suggested.

“Okay”

Her staff, who were working at the back of the plane, finally caught on that something was wrong. Patti Solis Doyle, her senior adviser, walked towards them. “What’s going on?”

“She’s been having a pain in her leg since the event, that’s why we cut the exit short, and now her foot and ankle are so swollen that she can’t put her shoe back on.” Huma informed her. “We’re working on a solution so the press won’t notice. I can lend her my spare trainers to walk down, but someone will have to help her.”

“We are about to land, please take a seat and fastened your seat belt.” A voice on the speaker announced. Patti and Huma sat next to Hillary.

“Okay.” Patti started forming a plan. “If you can hold to the rail on your left, Huma can hold on to you on your right, let it seem casual. I’ll inform Melanne and have a doctor waiting for you at the White House.”

“No” Hillary immediately rebuked. “I don’t need a doctor.”

“Hillary…” Patti tried to persuade her.

“It might be nothing. Let me rest in my room and assess the situation. Just tell Melanne to cancel the rest of my day. I’ll call the doctor if needed.”

Huma and Patti shared a look. They knew it was very unlikely that she would contact a doctor.

Once they landed, Patti informed Anita, Hillary’s closest secretive service agent, that the First Lady was injured and to clear a path for her. They could see the woman struggling to walk, but she bit her lip and kept a brave face. When they were in the car, Patti called Melanne Verveer and told her to cancel the rest of Hillary’s appointments. The chief of staff was waiting for them at the White House entrance. She saw Hillary limping and in pain and asked what was going on.

Huma helped Hillary to the residence and Patti updated Melanne on the situation.

“She told us not to call a doctor.” She finally told her.

“That’s crazy. If it’s really that swollen, she should have it check it out, it could be serious.”

“You know how she is.” Patti shrugged. Their boss wasn’t one to show weakness, especially now with everything that was going on with the scandal and the impeachment shadow on top of all of them.

“You know what we should do.” Melanne raised her eyebrow. With Chelsea back to California, there was only one person in the White House who could convince her.

“Yeah…. Who’s going to do it?”

“Call Capricia. It’s her job.” As the atmosphere between the First Lady and the President got more tense, it was up to the Deputy Chief assistant to the President to coordinate the two offices and make sure that the two of them were together in public occasions.

Meanwhile, Huma and Hillary reached the master bedroom. Hillary slowly made her way towards the bed and sighed. She took Huma’s shoes off and laid down.

“Do you need anything? Can I help?” the aide asked.

“No, thank you Huma.” She pushed her upper body back up. “Thank you for the shoes and for your help.”

“Just let me know if you need anything.” The younger woman collected her shoes and left the room.

Hillary sighed again and tried to contain her tears. She could really need someone right now. Who was she kidding? She really needed her husband. Truth was, that lately they didn’t know how to stay in the same room alone. It was okay if they were surrounded by people and in official duty, but as soon as everyone left, the awkwardness surrounded them. It even got worse since their separated wedding anniversary. She had left the country just to avoid it and he didn’t even know how to acknowledge it.

She got up and started undoing her pants when the door suddenly opened. She jumped startled. No one would enter without knocking. No one, except… and there he was, her husband walking in her (their?) bedroom.

“What are you doing here?” They hadn’t been alone in that room since he turned her world upside down that awful morning.

Bill steadily walked towards her. He never knew what mood he would find her. Sometimes it felt like things were good between them, sometimes it felt tense and they didn’t know how to communicate. 

“They told me you were hurt.” He answered her.

“You shouldn’t have interrupted your day. It’s nothing.” She quickly dismissed him. She was trying to avoid looking him in his eyes. She shifted in her feet and grimaced.

“It doesn’t look like nothing.” He noticed her pain and looked down to see her foot swollen. If he could notice it through her clothing, he couldn’t imagine how it was underneath it. “Hillary, that looks really bad, let me have a look.”

She looked at him stunned. They hadn’t been together alone in their bedroom since August and now he was asking her to get half naked in front of him?

Bill noticed her slight hesitation and gulped down the bile that came up from his stomach. He tried to hide his hurt and guilt. His own wife wasn’t comfortable being around him. How could he have screwed up so big?

He took a big breath and contained his tears. “I just want to help.” He whispered to her.

She nodded. “Okay.” She also had trouble keeping her tears at bay. She sat down and Bill kneeled in front of her. Together they managed to pull down her suit pants and tights.

He delicately took her leg in his hands and lifted it up so her heal would sit on his bended knee. “Jesus Hillary, your leg is swollen from your calf down to your ankle. I don’t see a bruise or anything. Does it hurt?” 

“Yeah. It might be just a pulled muscle.”

“It doesn’t look like a pulled muscle; you need to have it checked by a doctor.”

She really didn’t want to, but she realized that she could no longer avoid the issue. “Okay. Have Doctor Mariano sent here.” She got up and wobbled towards the bathroom. “Just let me get cleaned up.”

Bill’s first instinct was to help, but he didn’t know how his touch would be received. “How can I help?”

Hillary still didn’t know how to behave with him, but if their relationship would ever get back to normal, she needed to let him in somehow. “Just get me a clean t-shirt and a pair of short, please. I’m not greeting the doctor in my underwear if I can avoid it.”

“Sure” he knew in which drawer to find her clothes. He picked out something that he knew she would feel comfortable in, but still looked dignified.

“I have left them on the chair next to the door.” He told her through the bathroom door, trying not to think that if he hadn’t hurt her so much, he would have walked inside the bathroom without hesitation.

Then, he called the White House operator telling them to get Doctor Mariano asap. Behind him he heard the click of the door and saw that her clothes were no longer on the chair. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for her. He looked around unsure. He had been sleeping on the couch for two months now and the only time he would walk in there would be to get a change of clothes when he knew she wasn’t around. He realized that he could have easily moved to one of the many spare bedrooms in the resident, but that would have made their separation permanent and it was the last thing he wanted. He would stay on that couch until she would let him back in their bed, no matter how long it took. It still seemed strange being there. Some of his books were still on his bedside table, his spare reading glasses were there, a bottle of his cologne. It all looked so familiar but alien at the same time. The memories from when she had kicked him out on that August morning rushed back to him. How he had finally confessed all his sins to her, how he had unashamedly cried and pleaded her to listen to him and forgive him, how he had felt his whole world collapse. He had been walking around with a weight on his shoulders for months now. Years, if he were honest with himself. Sometimes he felt like he couldn’t breathe. This time he didn’t stop the tears. Because of his stupid mistake, he was losing the person he loved most in this world beside his daughter, and he was worried that he might be losing her in a different way. He prayed. He prayed that his wife was going to fine.

He heard the bathroom door open and quickly tried to dry his face. He looked up at her and he noticed her puffed eyes. Hillary was looking around not really knowing what to do and he understood that she wasn’t going to sit on the bed while he was still on it. He quickly got up and put space between them.

“I’m going to wait for her outside.” He told her. It was killing him in the inside to stay away from her, but for now he had to put her needs first.

“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I’m sure you’ve got more important things waiting for you downstairs.”

Her words were like little stabs through his heart. How could she think that he would just go back to work while she was suffering? He gulped “Of course I want to stay here. Nothing is more important than you and your well-being. I love you.” He said with a cracked voice.

She nodded, but turned her back to him and laid on the bed.

He sighed. “I’ll be just outside. Shout if you need anything.” He paused and then he quietly left the room. He sat on one of the armchairs in the lounge, looking straight ahead of him as he waited for the doctor. It was in that moment that he realized that she didn’t tell him she loved him back. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read disclaimer on chapter one.
> 
> So, this is the end. I tried to write what could have an emotional rollecoaster situation, I hope I gave them justice. Thanks for reading and commeting.

Navy Captain Doctor Connie Mariano made her way up the White House family residence. The Clintons didn’t usually call for a doctor. Except for the annual medical check- up to the President, the seasonal flu shots and occasional sore throats, they preferred to take care of themselves. So, when the White House operator called her telling her to come as fast as she could, she had been surprised but also concerned. The first thing she saw was President Bill Clinton sitting on a lounge chair just outside the master bedroom. At first glance he looked fine, so he probably wasn’t her patient. Judging by his worried expression and the fact that she knew Chelsea was at Stanford, she could only assume that the one in need of medical attention was going to be Mrs. Clinton.

“Mr. President.” She interrupted his thought and stood to attention.

Bill jumped startled, but quickly got up. He gave her wave to stand at ease and walked towards her to shake her hand. “Thank you for coming, Doctor.”

“Of course, Mr. President.”

“Mrs. Clinton is going to be your patient so I’m sure you know she’s not going to be easy.” He explained to her.

The woman chuckled. “I’m sure we’ll find a compromise like always.” She knocked at the door and walked in when she heard permission to enter. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Clinton.” She walked in.

Mariano saw the First Lady laying on the bed, she walked towards it and put her medical bag on top of it.

“Thank you Doctor for coming with such short notice.” Hillary stood upright, leaning her back against the headboard of the bed.

“No problem. It’s my job”

Connie Mariano soon noticed that she hadn’t heard the click of the door closing and wondered what was taking the president so long to join her. She turned around and saw the man standing by the door. He looked like a lost puppy begging to come inside and those eyes were aimed towards his wife. The woman took mental note that things between the first couple weren’t as smooth as seen in TV. It was never easy dealing with a married couple if things were tense but obviously, she wasn’t going to let the President in if her patient didn’t want him there, even though he was technically her chief in command. 

Fortunately, the First Lady gave him a small nod and Bill walked in closing the door behind him. He slowly walked to Hillary, standing by her bedside table.

Mariano could now concentrate on the medical problems. She looked down at her and soon noticed the swollen leg. “How long as the leg been swollen?” She suddenly asked.

“I’ve started experiencing pain in my leg this morning at the end of the campaign event in New York. By the time we got to Washington my foot was so swollen that I couldn’t put my shoes back on. So, I guess three to four hours.” Hillary explained.

The Captain nodded. “Are you still experiencing pain?”

“A bit. I took a pain killer before the plane took off.”

“May I?” She asked pointing at the leg. After Hillary’s affirmative nod, the doctor lifted the leg and started pressing her hand up and down. “Have you been doing a lot of travelling these days?”

“You could say that.” Bill snorted, but quickly shut up at Hillary’s death glare.

“I’ve been helping in different campaigns across the country.” Hillary informed her. “So, yeah that means travelling quite a lot.”

“So, a lot of sitting in cars and planes.” The doctor said pensively.

Bill didn’t like the worried expression on the doctor’s face. “What is it?”

“I can’t say for certain, but I suspect a blood clot.”

“A blood clot?” Bill asked. That didn’t sound good.

“Sitting in cars or airplanes for long hours could put you at risk and with this swelling that still hasn’t gone down, I don’t want to take any risks. We should go to Bethesda for an ultrasound.”

“Okay.” Hillary nodded. “When can I get the appointment?”

Mariano looked at her startled. “Mrs. Clinton, I’m calling the hospital now, this is an emergency.”

Bill was getting even more concerned and he unconsciously took Hillary’s hand in his.

Hillary, always the pragmatic, needed more information before she could make any decision. “Why the rush? If I have a blood clot what could it mean?”

“If left untreated the clot could break and cause a pulmonary embolism.”

Bill gasped and squeezed Hillary’s hand.

“That’s why I want to immediately assess the situation, see if we’re dealing with a blood clot and take the necessary precautions and treatments.”

“Whatever you need, Doctor.” Bill told her. “I’ll inform the secret service, Hillary and I …”

“Doctor Mariano,” Hillary interrupted him. “Could you give us a minute, please?” Hillary politely asked her.

Mariano nodded. “Sure, I’ll call the hospital from the telephone outside.” She picked up her bag and left the room to give them some privacy.

“Hillary,” Bill told her sternly. “This isn’t the time to be stubborn. If you need to have this ultrasound, that’s what we’ll do.” He wasn’t going to let her get out of it.

Hillary sighed. “I’m not going to object on going to the hospital. If it’s what I need to get a quick diagnosis so I can be back on my feet, that’s what I’ll do.” She paused. “I don’t think you should come with me.”

“Hillary,” Bill kneeled by the bed. “Please, don’t shut me out.” He didn’t care that he was literally begging her. “Please.” He held her hands in his.

“I’m not shutting you out,” She sighed exasperatedly. “I’m being realistic. It’s going to be difficult to keep the trip out of the press with just a few of my agents escorting me, how will we explain the President suddenly making a visit to Bethesda Hospital?”

“I don’t care!”” He shouted. “I’m not letting you go there alone. I know you’re not comfortable around hospitals and you’re probably scared.” He continued with a calmer voice. “Because I’m scared. I’m so scared that I could throw up.” He cried.

“Oh Bill,” She freed one of her hands and ran it down his left cheek, drying his tears.

“So, please. Don’t leave me here alone just going crazy thinking about all the different awful scenarios.”

“It’s going to be okay. I’m going to be okay.” Hillary reassured him.

“You don’t know that; you can’t promise that. But I want to be there not just for my state of mind, but also to be there for you.”

“Okay.” She agreed.

He nodded “Okay.” and he gave her a small grateful smile. He slowly got up. He really shouldn’t be kneeling like that with his bad knees. “I’m going to arrange transport with the secret service. I’ll be sure to tell them to be discreet.”

“Good, thank you. Let me change, look more First Lady like.”

“Should we call Chelsea?” He asked her.

“Not until we know more. There’s no point in worrying her for maybe nothing.” Hillary slowly made her way towards the closet.

“Do you need help?” He asked her concerned while picking up the phone to call the security coordinator.

“I’ll manage”

Later on, they were both in an unmarked car with minimum security, making their way towards Bethesda Naval Hospital. Hillary was silently looking out of the window. The closer they got to the hospital, the more nervous she got. Slowly she stretched her arm and took Bill’s hand in hers. Bill turned his head towards her, but she kept looking outside. He looked down at their joined hands on the seat between them and gave her reassuring squeeze, hoping that he could give her strength too.

Doctor Mariano had left the White House before them so she could get everything ready for the First Couple arrival. Being in a military hospital made it easier for discretion and security.

“Mr. President, Madame First Lady.” They were greeted by Mariano and a nurse standing by with a wheelchair.

“Is that really necessary?” Hillary eyed the wheelchair.

“Hospital policy.” The doctor remained inflexible. “We’re going to use the Presidential room.”

The way to the room had been cleared. Two secret service agents kept watch at the end of the corridor, while others secured the exits.

“Okay. There’s a hospital gown in the wardrobe.” Mariano instructed once they reached the room. “I’ll give you time to change while I bring the ultrasound machine. A nurse will also come to do a blood withdraw for a blood test, it’s just precaution to check some values.”

Once they were alone, Hillary sighed: how had her day changed so suddenly?

Bill was observing her. He knew she didn’t like all this. “Here, let me get the gown.” He opened the wardrobe and retrieved the piece of garment. “Do you want to change here or in the bathroom?”

Hillary got up from the wheelchair and took the gown from his hand. “I’ll go in the bathroom.” And she walked into the other room and closed the door.

Of course, he thought. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He wished Chelsea were there. She was good at keeping things together, but he knew that their marriage couldn’t be kept together just by their daughter. They needed to find common ground. At the moment it was the fight against the Republicans and the impeachment, but what was going to happen when that was over? They already had a couple of counseling sessions. It was something that Hillary had agreed to do with him in order to try and salvage their broken relationship. He had two five hours sessions alone with the counselor. It had been tough, but he knew that they had only touched the tip of the iceberg, but he was determined to figure out the underline issues that made him lose his better judgment over and over again. This time he had really hurt his wife and daughter in the worst possible way. They deserved for him to be a better person and he needed it, because this time he had really reached rock bottom and it was up to him, with the help of the people who loved him, to get back on his feet and be a better husband and father, but he also wanted to do it for himself.

Hillary opened the door carrying her clothes. “Could you help me fastened the gown, please?” She asked him turning around

“Sure.” He jumped to the opportunity. He fastened the lacing closing the gown at the back and when she turned back, he took her clothes and hung them in the wardrobe.

The gown was an awful grey green color. “Now, we know that you can make any color look good.” He said eyeing top to bottom and for once he managed to make her chuckle as she got on the bed, knowing that at the moment he had a perfect view of her behind.

A nurse arrived and took some vials of blood. Hillary had closed her eyes as Bill held her hand. She really didn’t like the sight of blood. Later, Doctor Mariano was back with the portable ultrasound machine.

“is everything okay?” She asked her patient. The unasked question behind her words was if she was okay with Bill staying during the examination.

“Yes.” Hillary simple answer summarized up everything.

The doctor nodded and picked up the bottle with the liquid gel. “This is going to be cold.”

Hillary knew the drill. It was ironic that the last time they had been in a hospital with Hillary having an ultrasound was when she had been pregnant with Chelsea. She still shivered when the doctor spread the gel up and down her right leg. The Doctor first slowly went up and down the front of the leg, then she asked Hillary to lay down on her stomach and then she carefully looked up the back of her leg. She spent more time on the back of her knee and took some measurements.

“What’s wrong?” Bill was sitting on a chair next to the bed and was holding Hillary’s hand.

Mariano sighed. “It’s like I suspected.” She pointed at an area on the screen. “See this? It’s a big blood clot on the back of your knee that’s causing a slight blockage on your blood flow.”

Hillary gulped as she sat up on her elbows. “Okay, so what’s the next step?”

Mariano shut up the machine and gave the First Lady a towel to clean her leg from all the gel. When Bill saw her struggling with it, he immediately took over and cleaned her. He also went to get her pair of socks, knowing how her feet easily got cold.

“We’re going to start with blood thinners and I would like to monitor you here in the hospital for a couple of days to see how the treatment is going. You should stay in bed for at least a week.”

“That’s not an option.” Hillary said firmly.

“Madame, this is nothing you should take lightly. The consequences of an untreated clot can be dangerous.”

“I understand. I will take the blood thinners, but I can’t stay in bed for a week. I’ve got more campaign rallies to attend before election day.”

Mariano was about to object again, when Bill spoke up. “Doctor could you give us a moment, please?”

“Sure” The woman nodded hoping that the President could have more luck in changing his wife’s mind.

“This is not up to discussion, Bill.” Hillary said once the door closed.

“Hillary, we’re talking about your health here. I’m sure the campaign can wait for now.” He tried to say in a calm voice, but he was angry that she wasn’t taking the situation seriously.

“Can it?” She said angrily. “Because at the moment not a lot of people want to share a podium with you and somebody has to make sure you still have a job by the end of the year!”

Those words felt like a punch to his gut, just like his were to her when he finally confessed his indiscretion in August. He bent his head down, almost in defeat.

“What do you want me to do?” Bill looked back up at her, tears in his eyes. “Do you want me to resign? Because I’ll do it. My presidency is not more important than you!”

“Of course not! What they are doing to you in unacceptable, it’s unconstitutional. We haven’t fought so hard, hurt so badly, worked against all odds, just to let them win.” 

“Then make me understand, because sometimes I don’t know how to behave with you. Some days it seems like we can still make things work, but some days you don’t even want to be in the same room as me. I know I screwed up. I know I disappointed you, hurt you, humiliated you and I don’t even know where to start to make things better other than to ask again and again for your forgiveness, work on myself in therapy and consulting with the pastors and search God’s guidance. But I don’t know how long I can take it walking on egg shells around you. I don’t know if I can touch you without you flinching from it. I don’t know if I can joke around you, laugh like we always do, talk about anything and everything.” He looked away again, because the next part was going to be hard to say, hard to hear the answer to. “I sometimes wonder if you still love me.”

Tears started running down her cheeks and she touched his cheek. “Of course I still love you, it wouldn’t hurt so much if I didn’t.” She dropped her hand “But I have to admit that some days I don’t like you. I hear the news; the details and I start wondering how did I miss it? How could you have been so lovingly with me while having this secret life behind my back?”

It was still something that he couldn’t explain either. This double nature of his life has been with him since he was a child, his parallel lives.

“And I don’t trust you.” She confessed. “And that’s something that it’s going to take time to rebuild. I asked you back in January. I asked you if anything more had happened between you and you lied straight to my face. You lied to me, Bill!” She shouted.

It was the first time he had lied to her about an affair. When they happened other times in the past, he had told her exactly who he had been with and what had happened. Sometimes crawling to her in tears wondering why he kept doing what he did, other times telling her that it was better if he just left her, because he was only hurting the people he loved. But this time he had lied about it, kept it a secret for over a year, confessed only because there was no other choice. 

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He cried again.

She sighed. She couldn’t live without him in her life, but boy did he sometimes make it difficult. Well, she knew it was going to be challenging when she agreed to marry him.

“I wouldn’t have agreed on counselling if I didn’t think there was something still worth fighting for. That’s the only thing I can offer you for now. So, we have to be patient this time and it’s going to take time. We’re not going to patch things up with just a quick band aid on it, like we did last time. It’s going to be hard work, it’s going to hurt, but I think we could come out of it stronger than before.”

Bill nodded it and he took her hands in his. “I’m going to put the work, I promise. I’m going to do whatever it takes to make amends to you, Chelsea and everybody else.”

For now, she believed him. “But this is going to be the last time. I don’t think I have enough strength in me to go through it again. We’re going to do counselling, we’re going to do therapy, do it for as long as it takes, but if after this you…” the words were stuck in her throat. “That’s it. No more chances, I’m gone.”

“I know and I won’t let it happen. I need you in my life, that’s why I want you to take care of yourself. Please tell me you will follow the doctor’s orders.”

“I can’t do that, but I’m willing to listen to safe alternatives.”

It wasn’t what he had hoped for, but it was better than nothing.

They let the doctor back in and at the end they reached a compromise. Hillary was going to rest for a couple of days and start therapy with blood thinners. A nurse was going to follow her in all her travels to administer the drugs and monitor her health, with strict instruction to take her to the nearest hospital if she experienced shortness of breath. Only her secret service and closer members of her staff would be informed of her real health condition. When asked, they would tell the others that she had a pulled muscle. She would come back for a follow up in ten days to check if the clot had dissolved on its own.

“I’m still not sure about this arrangement, but I can’t keep you here against your will.” Mariano told her. “So, let me go get your discharged papers while you get change and I’ll also find you a nurse and write down some instructions you have to follow.”

“Thank you, Doctor. And sorry if I’m such a difficult and stubborn patient.”

Mariano laughed. “I’m a Navy Doctor, I had worse.” And she left them alone again.

“Let me get you your clothes.” Bill walked to the wardrobe and then put her clothes on the bed.

This time she didn’t go to the bathroom to change, she got undressed in the room. Small steps.

“I have some conditions too.” Bill told her, helping her with the laces at the back of the gown. “You call me.” He told her when she turned around. “You call me every time you arrive somewhere, every time you finish an event, before setting off or from the hotel if you’re staying the night. It’s this or me calling your secret service every hour.” The tone of his voice told her that she had no option.

“Okay.” She promised she told him while buttoning up her blouse.

“And if you feel too tired to travel, you’ll spend the night there. I don’t care if it messes up your schedule. And at the first sign of trouble, you go to a hospital. Don’t be reckless.”

She rolled her eyes, slightly amused.

“I’m not kidding, Hills.” He looked straight into her eyes.

For the first time she really understood how much this health hiccup had rattled him. “I promise.”

Reassured he nodded and then he helped her put her sandals back on. Her foot was still a bit swollen. “What are we going to do with Chelsea?” he asked her.

“I don’t want to lie to her, but I don’t want her to be worried and distracted in class, or rush back here. She already has enough in her mind.”

“It will be worse if she finds out about it later on.” He told her. Their daughter was a combination of both of their personalities which, depending on the situation, could be good or bad.

“I’ll call her when we get home and try to be honest and reassuring at the same time.”

They both sat next to each other on the bed. “And I think we should call Dorothy too.” Bill finally told her his last condition.

“Why? To keep an eye on me?” She raised her eyebrow in question.

“Don’t look at me like that. Yeah, I’d feel better if she were there with you too. She’ll know if something is wrong even before you do. She was still going to come for your birthday, coming earlier it won’t change anything.”

It was pointless arguing with him. “Fine.”

“Okay.”

And they waited for the doctor to come back in silence. At one point, Hillary took his hand in hers and absentmindedly started playing with his fingers. This was just another hurdle put in front of them. They will go over it, like always, until they’ll find the next one and then another one.

She will heal, just like their relationship will. They were still each other’s best friends, even if things were though. They will always be best friends, but if they could still be husband and wife, only time would tell.


End file.
